Remember Me
by icearticuno96
Summary: When Hinamori Momo finally wakes up, she is blisfully happy and ignorant about things going on in Soul Society at the moment. Because in her final confrontation with Aizen, he removed himself, the Winter War; everything, even Shiro-chan from her memories.
1. Memories

Hello there.

My first fanfic about Hitsugaya and Hinamori. Reviews appreciated!

I don't own bleach.

**

* * *

Memories**

Hitsugaya-taicho did his work quietly in his office. No sound can be heard except for the occasional swish of the papers or the brush.

Matsumoto yawns and stretches. "I think I'm done, taicho." she announces brightly.

"Good. You can do some of mine."

"Taicho!" she grumbles. But she gets up and removes half of his papers from his desk. Hitsugaya looks up, but she was already walking back to her table. Dutifully she takes her brush and starts writing the papers.

Hitsugaya rubs his eyes tiredly. The clock in the room reads 5 minutes to 1.00am. In the past, there had been no way of telling the time, as Soul Society insisted on candles, until Kurosaki introduced the clock into their lives.

_Kurosaki_, he mused. Who knew that someone like him would eventually bring the downfall of Aizen? Accordingly, Hitsugaya showed him slightly more respect, but it always irked him how Kurosaki treated him like old friends and called him 'Toshiro'.

A breeze blows in through the open window, and a Hell Butterfly flutters in. Hitsugaya raises a finger, and the butterfly lands on it.

_Hitsugaya-taicho. _Unohana-taicho's voice spoke clearly from the butterfly. _This is Unohana-taicho. May I suggest that you quickly head to yon-bantai barracks? It concerns Hinamori-kun's condition._

In a second Hitsugaya-taicho had abandoned his massive mountain of paperwork and had shunpoed to yon-bantai, Matsumoto close behind him.

"What's wrong, taicho?"

"Hinamori." was his only reply.

They land lightly at yon-bantai. It might have been past midnight, but the lights were still on and shinigami were bustling about, rushing here and there. Unohana-taicho is waiting for them at the entrance.

"Hinamori-kun has woken up."

"That's wonderful!" cries Matsumoto.

But there is no usual sparkle in her eyes. They were dull, and looked as if she was delivering the worst news possible.

"There is a but." Her voice was impossibly soft, but it took all hope and excitement out of Hitsugaya and Matsumoto.

Unohana-taicho doesn't continue, but instead leads them down the corridor, the same one that Hitsugaya had been walking on ever since Hinamori was hospitalized. She brings them to a room, and slides open the doors.

Hinamori Momo was sitting up on her bed. Abarai Renji was already there, but his facial expression was anything but happiness. On the other hand, Hinamori was giggling.

"Hitsugaya-taicho. Matsumoto-san." he mumbles incoherently.

Hinamori notices Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. "Who are they?" she asks Renji.

Matsumoto frowns and tilts her head to one side. "But…"

_But._

Hitsugaya's breath catches in his throat. He stares at the scene unfolding in front of him. _Impossible. _He thought. _No, she couldn't have-_

Gently, Unohana-taicho takes the two of them out of the room. "She's …" blurts out Matsumoto.

"Lost her memories." finishes Unohana-taicho.

"All of them?!" Matsumoto's voice rises slightly.

Unohana-taicho's eyes were sad. She nods carefully.

Hitsugaya stares at her eyes. They were sad, but they were used to it too. Unohana Retsu has lived for so long, she probably dealt with other similar cases before. Dealt with them, experienced them, and lived through them. Abarai Renji steps out of the room. _His _eyes were sad and confused.

"Excuse me, Hitsugaya-taicho, Unohana-taicho, Matsumoto-san." Bowing respectfully, he strides quickly down the hallway, fists clenched, not turning back once.

Wordlessly, Hitsugaya slides open the door once more and heads back inside. The second he did so, he instantly regretted it. Hinamori's brown eyes were wide open. They weren't afraid, they weren't tired.

Instead, they were free of troubles and curious about him.

"Who are you?" she asks again.

Hitsugaya swallows. "Hitsu-, no, Shiro-chan."

"Shiro-chan! Is that your name?"

Hitsugaya laughed, but it was a short, dry, empty laugh. It wasn't a happy laugh, it was a hopeless laugh. As though the stupid name that she gave him, that she had called him, as though _that _would make her remember _anything._

"Are you alright?" she asks tentatively. Now her eyes were concerned. Slowly, Hitsugaya nods, forcing a smile on his face. Hinamori visibly relaxed, and asks again, shyly this time. "Is Shiro-chan your name?"

"Yes." Funny how he would actually acknowledge that stupid, annoying nickname.

"Hello, Shiro-chan!" Her face lights up in a bright sunny smile. "My name is... my name…" In an instant the smile is gone, to be replaced by confusion. "My name is…"

"Do you know my name, Shiro-chan? That's funny! I don't even know my name!" She laughs at the silliness of it.

"Hinamori Momo." Six syllabus, and that was all he could managed. Her face swam, and he excused himself. Brushing pass the two women waiting politely outside the room, he sprinted down another hallway - this one in the opposite direction as the one Abarai had taken. He ran, taking abrupt turns, never stopping, until he came into a vacant room. The white, blank walls gave him a nauseous, claustrophobic feeling. _Bloody wall._ Clenching his right hand into a fist, he lands a punch in the cement wall. Once, twice, thrice – and he skin tears. Another time, and there is a cracking sound of his knuckles. Two more times. Another three. Blood forms on his raw hand, some on the wall, some on the floor. Until the pain becomes unbearable in his right hand, he switches to his left hand, which makes a new crater beside the old one.

Someone pulls at his left arm, and numbly he lets that someone pull it away. _Matsumoto. _Deftly, she wipes away the blood and begins to wrap a bandage around his right hand. Something wet falls out of his right eye, into his bandaged right palm. Matsumoto stops. Another tear joins the first, and together they make a heart shape.

"Hitsugaya." she whispers. Then she pulls him into a tight embrace.

Under normal circumstances, Hitsugaya would have pulled away and threaten to kill her for calling him by his first name and then daring to hug him, but this isn't normal anymore. If it was normal then Hitsugaya wouldn't be crying. If it was normal his knuckles wouldn't be bleeding by his own will. If it was normal Hinamori would be _alright. _If it was normal then she would still have her memories.

"Everything will be alright, Hitsugaya. I promise. Everything will be alright, Hitsugaya…" Matsumoto strokes his head over and over again, repeating the same words over and over again.

~*~

"_You freak! What the hell are you doing here in our school! This is a school for normal people, not for freaks like you, freak!!" _

_Hitsugaya turns around and walks away, trembling from hurt and anger. Someone calls his name but he doesn't turn. Maybe Takahashi was right, and that he didn't belong here after all._

_It was during a Zanjutsu lesson. Today instead of the usual sparring lessons, their Sensei made them meditate with their katanas instead. And so he had meditated, as with everyone else. _

_But the last thing he expected was to be drawn into that icy landscape again. The scary, cold place, with that ice dragon roaring at him. Hitsugaya never quite understood what that dragon wanted. He was either roaring at Hitsugaya to hear his name, or he was screeching at him to prove himself. Or he couldn't be heard at all, over the even louder rush of the wind. _

_That very day, the ice dragon had unfurled his wings, gave an earth-shattering roar that shook the very core of Hitsugaya's bones, and asked him, over and over again: "Are you fit to wield me, boy?"_

_But Hitsugaya was scared. Scared of the dragon, and of the icy landscape. He was the only one who had these weird dreams, the only one who managed to communicate with his zanpakuto spirit, a feat which the other sixth-year students didn't quite manage to perform. _

_Hitsugaya never told anyone about his weird phases with the dragon, but Sensei seemed to know whenever he had them. In their last meditation lesson, he had openly praised Hitsugaya about his capabilities. But as soon as the lesson ended he was jeered at by the other boys in class. They made fun of him, about his eye color, his hair color, his icy demeanor and how he tired to be 'cool' when he wasn't really, and above all, about how he had no friends. _

_When the dragon appeared and started to talk to Hitsugaya, he got scared and tried to back out. When he finally opened his eyes and managed to drag himself away from it all, his whole body felt hot and sweat covered his entire face. _

_But he was the only one sweating. The rest were all shivering. Hitsugaya's eyes went wide with disbelief. It was the middle of summer, and yet the whole place was freezing over?_

_Then it all dawned on him that it was his fault for all the ice. He had caused it all; brought winter right in the middle of summer, and the people sitting next to him were either frozen or shivering. One of them was Takahashi. _

"_You freak!" screamed Takahashi, who was shivering violently from the cold, and crouched protectively over a sniffling girl. "What the hell are you doing here in our school, freak?! This is a school for normal people, not for freaks like you, freak!!" _

_Hitsugaya swallowed hard, and willed himself to stay calm. He turned slowly and walked out of the class, walk out of here. "Wait, Hitsugaya-kun!" It was Hinamori voice, he realized._

_Another thing he realized, too, that she was the girl Takahashi had crouched over. That realization only made him walk even faster to get the hell out of the damn place._

_If only he had stayed a second longer; he would have seen Abarai Renji Punch Takahashi in the nose, and Izuru Kira shove him a good few meters, away from Hinamori and Hitsugaya._

~*~

_That very night, Toshiro Hitsugaya made the decision to leave Shinoreijutsin for good. He packed his few belongings: the letters that Ba-chan sent him, some food. He slung his katana on his back and shunpoed out of the boy's dorm._

_The night was dark and cool, and he had draped a coat over himself for protection. Using kido, he hid his reiatsu and appearance, snuck pass the drowsy shinigami on guard duty and fled out into Seireitei. _

_He ran on and on and on, never stopping, never pausing. Seireitei was foreign to him, and everything looked exactly the same, so he never knew where he was getting at. He choked back his tears and headed towards the West, where his only safe sanctuary was located. He knew Jidanbo, the West Gate Keeper, and Jidanbo was a loyal man once you got to know him. He wouldn't tell on Hitsugaya, and after he passed the West Gate, he will be on his way home, home at 1__st__ District Jurin'an, West Rukongai. _

_He paused for a moment in his flight to get a good view of his surroundings. Getting to the very top of a high building, he could make out the distinctive shape of Jidanbo sitting in front of the West Gate. His heart hammered in his chest. The unspoken word: coward. _

_Coward. _

_He could actually hear someone saying that. Either the dragon or his imagination. He hoped it was the latter. But that very word seemed to suck out the air that he was breathing in at that moment, and he fell to the ground, breathing hard. _

"_Going somewhere?"_

_A female's voice shocked him out of his thoughts. He already recognized it. _

_It was the blond shinigami who knocked him down the day he went to get some natto. The blond shinigami who told him of his reiatsu, and brought him to Seireitei, then Shinoreijutsin. The one person that Hitsugaya would have thanked for giving him a life, until Shinoreijutsin let him experience just how much life could suck. _

_He unsheathed his katana and held it out in front of him. He made sure that the katana didn't wobble. _

"_I hate you." A soft whisper, but she heard it. Her ice-blue eyes grew sad. _

_He didn't know how long he'll last fighting a shinigami fukutaicho with a katana, but it was worth a try. He brought his katana down for her neck just as she unsheathed hers. _

_It wasn't much of a contest, though she'd let him try. By the fifth contact of their blades, she sent it spinning out of his hand. Before he had the chance to perform a kido spell, she grabbed him around his waist and hugged him tight._

"_Let me go!" he screamed. Kicking, clawing, he fought her with all his might, which was a lot, but she never let go. Getting tired of it, he started sobbing. When the realization that he wasn't going to get anywhere crashed down on him, he cried his heart out. _

_Hitsugaya was never one to cry, but when he did, he well and truly cried. _

"_Oh, Hitsugaya." she murmured. She hugged him and stroked his head. "Don't give up now," she said. "Don't give up. Everything will be alright. Please don't give up."_

_She kept on repeating this until his tears stopped coming, and he eventually stopped sobbing. _

"_Are you alright now?" she asked._

"_Yes." he had replied, a little shamefully. _

_She held him by his shoulders and looked at him in his eye. "You're different, kid." For once it wasn't an insult. "You'll do great things one day. Like becoming a taicho in Gotei 13. I'm sure of it. But always remember, Hitsugaya. Never ever give up on hope. You can hope to get good marks, you can hope to become a taicho." A smile slid onto her face for a while. "You can hope to find your home. You can hope that everything will be alright."_

_Her name was Matsumoto Rangiku._

~*~

"AHHHHHH!"

A wailing cry broke the taicho and his fukutaicho from their moment alone. Matsumoto dropped her embrace and Hitsugaya turned to the source of the sound. It was a female shinigami.

She had cried out because she was overjoyed. He watched as she threw her arms around a male shinigami. The assisting yon-bantai division member smiled. It was obvious that they were a couple.

Hitsugaya felt his entire being grow sad, but a Hell Butterfly flew in. Stopping in mid-air, it announced in Chojiro Sasakibe's voice: "To all taichos and fukutaichos, please head for a meeting regarding Gotei 13's vacancy. To all taichos and fukutaichos…"

Hitsugaya's heart dropped even further. Now they were talking about vacant seats. This means that Yamamoto-sotaicho finally got tired of waiting.

Lovers are supposed to be together. Hell Butterflies are supposed to be heard. Seats are supposed to be filled.

Memories are supposed to be remembered.

He can only imagine one good thing that comes out of this, and that was that all sad memories: about Aizen, his betrayal, the Winter War, the Espadas… things like that were all forgotten. Hinamori Momo had been wiped clean of them. She was now blissfully happy, and ignorant of oncoming pressing matters.

_Memories._

A word, a curse, and a hope all the same.

Memories.


	2. The River of Memories

**The River of Memories**

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's back was turned when Hitsugaya entered the meeting room. All the other taichos were already there.

He took his place in between Kyoraku Shunsui and Kuchiki Byakuya and Matsumoto stood formally behind him. No one spoke.

Yamamoto turned around and surveyed the group of taichos and fukutaichos.

"Today," he announced. "We are here to discuss about Gotei 13's vacant seats. Naturally, bankai users have already been approached. Those who have given consent are readily accepted. If all goes well, then Abarai Renji, previous fukutaicho of luku-bantai, will rise as san-bantai taicho, with Izuru Kira as fukutaicho." Yamamoto paused, and there was a smattering of applause from the audience. "Good for you, Renji." he heard Matsumoto whisper behind him.

"Madarame Ikakku has been approached for kyu-bantai, but the results are pending." Yamamoto frowns for a moment. "Following that, Kurosaki Ichigo has been approached for go-bantai."

The silence seemed to become deeper and more profound. The ex-taicho of go-bantai was Aizen Sosuke. He might be dead, but there was a certain feeling when this subject was breached. Yamamoto hesitated, just slightly before continuing.

"Results are still pending. As for the fukutaicho position…"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. He looked up. Between Tetsuzaemon Iba and Izuru Kira, there was a space; a space for someone to fill.

He got the prickling sensation that everyone had their eyes on him: and it was true, they did.

"Not yet." he said. "Not yet."

"How much longer, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

He didn't have an answer to that question. Nobody had, and Yamamoto knew it.

He wanted to say that there was no way in hell that they are going to do this, no way Hitsugaya would let them, but if he was Yamamoto he would have done the same thing.

"Hinamori Momo isn't incapacitated. She can still work. She's woken up. She just…"

"How will she work with her mental state? Forgive me for interrupting, but if Hinamori Momo is incapable of helping herself, then I don't think she should be in charge of the division. In fact, may I suggest that she comes over to my lab for some expe-"

"Shut up, Mayuri!" Hitsugaya spat the last word out like a curse.

"It is the best offer she's going to get, unless you want her to-"

"Silence, imbecile! You were right in only one thing, and that is it was wrong for you to interrupt."

"One more year, sotaicho. Give her one more year."

Yamamoto eyes him critically. One year wasn't enough for a person to regain all their memories.

"Ten months." It was settled.

Hinamori Momo had ten months to recover her forgotten memory. By ten months, she will have to reassert control over go-bantai.

And hopefully, by ten months, she will remember a certain forgotten Shiro-chan as well.

* * *

Hitsugaya groaned and rolled off his bed as sunlight hit his eyes. He really needed to get more sleep.

Today is the 30th of March. 3 months had passed since the Winter War had ended. 3 months had passed since Hinamori's last confrontation with Aizen. And now, today was Ba-chan's birthday.

He always cancelled all appointments on the last day of every month to visit Ba-chan. In March, he would cancel whole weekends to spend it with Ba-chan. But everytime, he was accompanied by Hinamori. But Hinamori didn't remember her anymore. Besides, would Ba-chan even want to see Hinamori in this state? Birthday's were supposed to be happy.

In the end he decided to buy his grandmother her birthday present first, then go over to yon-bantai and talk to Hinamori.

He strolled down one of Seireitei's better known streets. Merchants were selling expensive jewelry and elaborate cloths. He ignored them and walked to the shop selling sets of tea cups.

"Your most expensive ones." he said, dropping his heavy money bag on the table. The coins inside his pouch made a _Chink _sound.

"Yes, sir!" squeaked the shopkeeper. He returned carrying a set of teapots with beautiful landscape paintings on it.

"The best one in my shop, sir! I will even throw in a packet of tea in with this beauty."

Hitsugaya took his time and examined the tea cups.

"This one, then."

"Thank you, sir!"

Hitsugaya watched as the shopkeeper wrapped the tea set with rice paper. His thoughts were elsewhere.

* * *

"Hinamori-kun," sang the nurse. "You have a visitor!"

The nurse withdrew from the door and Hitsugaya entered the room. Hinamori was sitting up on her bed. "Shiro-chan!" she smiled.

"I'll leave you two, then." The nurse smiled and exited the room, but Hitsugaya stopped her.

"Did anyone explained to Hinamori about her current state of condition yet?" He asked in a low whisper.

"No, not yet, sir." The nurse bows respectfully and leaves.

_Great, _he thought. He looked helplessly at Hinamori, unsure of what to do next.

"What is that, Shiro-chan?" Hinamori points to the gift he has in his hands.

"It's a gift for my grandmother." He hesitated slowly, then added "_Our _grandmother."

Hinamori didn't hear the last part. "That's good, Shiro-chan! Your grandmother will be so pleased."

He stared. Hinamori wasn't wearing her shinigami clothes. She was wearing the clothes that they used to wear while they lived in Rukongai.

"Would you," Hitsugaya licked his lips. She was already dressed for Rukongai. "Would you like to visit my grandmother with me?"

Her face brightened. "I can?"

"Sure." Hitsugaya tried to smile.

"What's your grandmother's name, Shiro-chan? Where does she live?"

_Ba-chan's name. _Oh god.

"My grandmother… she… her name…" He wasn't thinking properly. She didn't remember Ba-chan's name.

"You can just call her Oba-san." He said at last. "And she lives in Jurin'an, West 1st District, Rukongai. Today is her… birthday. March 30th." He almost said _remember that._

"Let's go, then!" Hinamori skipped out of the room, Hitsugaya in tow.

She ran energetically out of yon-bantai's barracks. She laughed as she breathed in spring's air, and chased a butterfly that flew near. Her happiness was infectious. Hitsugaya felt a smile tug on his lips.

"Just a moment please, Hitsugaya-taicho."

His smile froze, and he turned to the source of the voice. Unohana-taicho was beckoning him from the entrance.

"Do I tell her the truth?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Unohana-taicho hesitated for while, weighing the options. "No," she said. "The truth will just be too much for her."

"But she is a _fukutaicho._ She is a shinigami in Gotei 13. And her zanpakuto..."

"And Aizen? The Winter War? The Arrancars? Would you have her remember those too, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

He felt as if he couldn't breath anymore. _Would he have Hinamori remember those that should be forgotten?_

When Hitsugaya's reply wasn't forthcoming, Unohana-taicho continued: "Let her remember, a little at a time, about the person she used to be. Not all at once. She needs time. Take her to places she was familiar with. You are the only one who can help her now. And then slowly, she will start to remember. How about this, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

It struck him that he would have to take out a lot of personal time for this. But he will do it. He was the only one who is able to. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hinamori walking closer.

"What about Tobuime?" he asked urgently.

"Forgotten, too. But Tobuime will reach out to HInamori as well. I will have Hinamori-kun's katana sent to ju-bantai. You should keep it in the meantime. Perhaps you could get Hyorinmaru to talk to Tobuime or something."

In his inner world, Hyorinmaru stirred a little, hearing his name in the conversation. _What about Minazuki?_

Hitsugaya relayed his question. "What about Minazuki? Did you try?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, Tobuime was not in a very suitable condition to talk. She is very distressed."

"Alright." Somehow he thought that having Hyorinmaru or Minazuki talk to Tobuime wasn't going to achieve different results. As though she read his mind, Unohana-taicho spoke: "Zanpakuto's actions and thoughts are influenced by their master's feelings."

Hitsugaya blushed. "Thank you." he murmured to her.

"What are you talking about?" asked Hinamori.

"Important things." He replied. "Let's go."

* * *

The both of them walked out of the West Gate. Or rather, Hitsugaya walked, Hinamori skipped. From yon-bantai all the way here, she made comments on every single thing she saw. _Did you see that butterfly, Shiro-chan? I can see it everywhere I go! Thisi Seireitei place... the buildings all look the same, why don't you get confused? Why do you always wear that haori? Is that a katana slung on your back?_

When they reached the gate, Jidanbo, the West Gate keeper, raised his hand in greeting. "Morning, Hitsugaya-taicho!" To Hinamori he said "Are you feeling better, Hinamori-kun?"

"Yes, thank you!" Hinamori giggled. "Everyone here seems to know me, Shiro-chan! Do I know them all? And why does everyone call you Hitsugaya-taicho?"

Pretending that he didn't hear her, Hitsugaya turned and waved: "Bye, Jidanbo!" He saw the West Gate keeper doubled over at his greeting, a look of surprise on his face. Quickly, Hitsugaya took Hinamori's hand and steered her down a familiar path to Jurin'an.

The villagers from Jurin'an stared out at the both of them as they walked down the path. Doing his best to ignore them, he walked steadily towards a house at the end of the road. It was probably the biggest house in Jurin'an. A peach tree growing in the front yard was bearing fruits.

Hinamori stopped behind him. "Is this where your grandmother lives, Shiro-chan?"

"Our grandmother. Call her Oba-san."

Hinamori stared at him, confused. "Our grandmother?" She repeated.

"Just come in." Hitsugaya seized her arm and dragged her in.

"Ba-chan!" He said loudly. He stepped on Hinamori's toes, hoping that she would get the message.

"Oba-san!" She chimed. "Oba-san!"

Hitsugaya's dear, frail old grandmother appeared at the door. "Hitsugaya! Hinamori!" she cried.

"What did she call you, Shiro-chan?" asked Hinamori in a low voice.

"My other name." he hissed. He hugged his grandmother tight. "Happy Birthday. I got you a present."

"Ever year, Hitsugaya, you get me a birthday present on my birthday. There are now so many things, where do I put them all?" She gestured her hand at the shelf behind her. It was filled with the gifts that Hitsugaya and Hinamori had given her over the years.

"They are for you to use, Ba-chan. Not for you to display." His grandmother never had the heart to use expensive and beautiful items.

"They are too expensive. Next time buy cheaper ones." She led them to the house. Unwrapping the parcel, she lifted up the beautiful tea set that Hitsugaya bought.

"But thank you, all the same. You are a thoughtful boy, Hitsugaya." Gingerlyy, she took the tea set out of the parcel and set them on the table. She clasped Hitsugaya and Hinamori's hand in her own.

"You look thinner, Hinamori. Have you been eating well?"

Hinamori nods. "Yes I have!"

"Eat more, Hinamori. Your body needs them. Besides, it looks like Hitsugaya is catching up with you!"

It was true. Hitsugaya definitely grew taller. He was now at 140cm. He grew seven centimeters, even though his height is not yet considered intimidating.

"You did, Shiro-chan? I couldn't tell!" Laughing, Hinamori petted his head.

"Don't pet my head." he mumbled, annoyed. At least her memory loss didn't change her personality.

_Grow taller, Hitsugaya. Aim for my height. At my height, you will be towering and intimidating._

Hitsugaya blushed. Hyorinmaru humanoid form was very tall, at 180m. And he was right, being tall is intimidating. Besides, he was also tired of being called 'Shorty' behind his back. Especially when Matsumoto is drunk and he has to drag her back from the sake bar. Those were absolute nightmares, with her screaming: "Let go of me, you shorty!!!"

"Sit down, both of you. I made some rice cakes…"

Hinamori sat and looked around the house. "Nice house, Shiro-chan!" She grinned at him.

"Oh." Hitsugaya didn't know how to answer. Now she was acting like she had never seen this place.

"Rice cakes!" announced Ba-chan. She set a basket of multi-colored rice cakes on the table. Hinamori took a pink one eagerly and started to eat. Hitsugaya reached for a white one and put it in his mouth.

The rice cakes didn't take a very long time to finish.

"How is work, Hitsugaya?" His grandmother asked.

"Not bad. Matsumoto is still lazy. I'm still doing all the work."

"At least the both of you get along well."

Hitsugaya snorted. Hinamori looks at him, and slowly asks "Matsumoto is…"

Hurridely, Hitsugaya finished for her "Still the same old, big-breasted, blonde oba-san."

"Eh? Why are you calling her oba-san, Shiro-chan?"

"Because she is."

"Hitsugaya," mused Ba-chan. "Don't be so rude."

"I'm her taicho."

"Taicho…" begins Hinamori, another question forming on her lips.

"Hinamori." he says loudly, getting rather afraid of her questions. "Let's go out and… play."

The word lingers in the air for a whole, tense second. Hinamori brightens. "Play?" she asks, cocking her head.

"Play?" repeats Ba-chan, unsure of what she heard.

"Play." says Hitsugaya firmly. "Let me go change."

Hitsugaya enters the room where he used to sleep in. Same closet, same table, same bed. Hitsugaya frowns. Surely his bed wasn't that small. He couldn't have been _that _small, could he? He placed Hyorinmaru on his small bed. The long katana took up nearly the entire bed.

Taking off his haori, he proceeded to strip himself of his shinigami clothing. He tossed his underwear top on the floor without much care, when he heard footsteps behind him. "Wait," he called. Hastily he grabbed for his clothes to cover himself with. Too late.

"Shiro-chan?" Deep, red patches form on Hinamori's cheeks.

All to aware that he's naked, Hitsugaya forced his voice to an absolute calm and said "Your room is on the left."

"Alright. I just wanted too... nevermind." Hinamori bowed her head sheepishly, and hastily heads for the left. "That's my…" begins Hitsugaya.

Hinamori steps on his white underwear top that he had carelessly thrown on the floor. She gasps and falls backwards and crashes into Hitsugaya. Unable to support her weight, the both of them falls onto the floor.

They stay in this pose for a long, awkward second. "Gerroff me." mumbles Hitsugaya.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Apologising frantically, Hinamori scrambles out of his room and bolts into her own.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Hitsugaya had changed out of his shinigami wear, into his casual, Rukongai clothing. They walk side by side on the path, careful not to wander too far off from one another, and not to get too close to one another.

"Let's go down to the river, Shiro-chan."

Hitsugaya nods and follows her down the path. He was surprised that she still remembered the way to the river. But she obviously didn't, as halfway down she stopped, thinking.

"Where is the river, Shiro-chan?"

_Don't get your hopes up._

Hyorinmaru was right. "Down there," he said, pointing at a distant muddy streak at the bottom of the hill.

Hinamori claps at the sight of it and breaks into a leisure run. Her slippers make loud slapping noises on the ground. Reaching the river, she paused to catch her breath, then waded into the muddy water.

Hitsugaya stopped in his tracks. He almost shouted out to her that the river was dirty and she shouldn't go in, but they were in Rukongai, not Seireitei. While Seireitei was all about being clean and having rules, Rukongai was this huge, dirty place, with absolute freedom.

_What the heck, _thought Hitsugaya. He plunged into the water after Hinamori.

The water plastered his hair onto his scalp. The dirty water gave his hair color a dirtier look. Hinamori's hair band came loose, and her black hair tumbled down over her shoulders.

Hitsugaya saw a mischievous glint in her eye. Pretending not to notice her, he stared down at his reflection in the water. He looked like a dirty boy from Rukongai without any capabilities, instead of the smart, powerful captain he really was. He felt a splash of water on his right shoulder. He turned to her, hands on his hips, and she started to giggle.

_Two can play the game, _he thought. He bent down and splashed her with the water. It hit her full in the face, and she coughed and splattered. He remembered vaguely how the two of them used to come down to this very river and played. It felt like aeons ago.

He was on the verge of apologizing, seeing the distressed Hinamori, when she kicked the water up into _his _face. He spluttered and splashed at her again.

Hinamori started to laugh. She twirled about in the water, sending splashes into Hitsugaya's direction. Slowly, Hitsugaya heard himself joining in. _If I had Hyorinmaru with me, I would control the whole entire river and dump the whole lot on her head._

It occurred to him that if he had Hyorinmaru with him, he would not use Hyorinmaru to create tidal waves for the mere sake of playing. _Why not, though? _Why, didn't he, when he had the chance?

_Because it wasn't practical. _Hyorinmaru answered in his head. _Besides, my shikai will probably scare Hinamori._

_We'll see._

"Are you afraid of dragons, Hinamori?" he asked.

"Why the sudden question, Shiro-chan?" Still laughing, Hinamori answered "Well, if the dragon is friendly, then I won't be afraid of it, I guess."

_Are you friendly, Hyorinmaru?_

_Well, if she is friendly, then I won't be afraid, I guess._

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "Wait here, Hinamori." He ran out of the river and shunpoed back to the house.

"Goodness, Hitsugaya!" Admonished his grandmother, as he came sloppiong mud all over the floor.. "You _have _been playing."

Hitsugaya ran into his room and grabbed Hyorinmaru. Then he ran out of the house again. "I'm going to play some more!" he cried. He hadn't felt so playful and so energized ever since he left Rukongai for Seireitei. It felt fantastic.

He shunpoed back to the river, and crouched some distance behind Hinamori, where she couldn't see him. _Be friendly, Hyorinmaru._

"Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru!" He felt the familiar rush of reiatsu, and Hyorinmaru burst out of his katana. He placed his katana on the shore, and the ice dragon rushed into the water, riding the waves.

Hinamori turned around in shock and noticed Hitsugaya. "Shiro-chan!" she cried, running over.

"The dragon is friendly, Hinamori. Are you afraid of him?" He smiled at her until she smiled back.

Hyorinmaru emerged skywards as a fully fledged dragon with wings. He went underwater and then resurfaced, drenching the both of them in muddy water.

Hitsugaya laughed. Noticing that Hinamori still seemed a bit reluctant, he made a grab for a abandoned bucket on a shore. Filling it to the brim with water, he flung the pail of muddy water at Hyorinmaru, who shook his massive head.

A small smile creeps onto Hinamori's face. Following suit, she grabbed the other abandoned bucket and starts to splash Hyorinmaru with it.

Laughing, panting and sweating, they threw water all over Hyorinmaru, and Hyorinmaru threw water all over them. When the sun started to set, Hinamori when onshore, panting, and lay down on the grass. Hitsugaya lay down beside her.

"That was fun, Shiro-chan!" Hinamori's brown eyes were shining.

"That was fun." Agreed Hitsugaya.

_Was that friendly, Hitsugaya?_

_That was fun._

The sun, a great orange disc in the sky, sets beneath the horizon. The two of them rest on the grass, caught in a moment of time when everything is just blissfully perfect.


End file.
